EVEN with two pre-season championships, University of the Philippines Lady Maroons believes that they are still far from being called as contenders for the upcoming UAAP season.
According to Lady Maroons head coach Godfrey Okomu, there are still a lot of work to do as their title runs in the Premier V-League and Philippine Superliga does not necessarily translate to a success in UAAP.
“It means a lot of pressure. For them and for me. That’s what it means,” said Okumu. “We had a trophy, and this is the second one. It’s just a big pressure, and just hoping for the best.”
“We wouldn’t like to play so well in the offseason, and when the real tournament comes up, we don’t perform,” he added. “So I believe, it puts us in a very tight situation, but the fight is there. So we’re gonna fight until the end.”
On their way to the PVL title, the Lady Maroons defeated Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, while they stunned University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses for the PSL tiara.
“UAAP is another game altogether. We only played against three of the other teams. So, I don’t wanna judge ourselves before playing against everybody else,” the Kenyan mentor said.
“We want to go out there and win the UAAP, but we have to tread carefully. We have to be polite as we move on, train and work hard because it’s a really big challenge for us,” he added.
Okumu is also thankful that there is still over a full month before the start of the UAAP competition since he is still having a hard time putting up a lineup from his talented pool consisting of veterans and incoming rookies.
“I have used almost all of our players in the pre-season so it’s gonna be hard to choose, so don’t ask me my line-up for UAAP,” Okumu said. “But, for me, it is a good problem to have.”
***
For a well-known sports patron, Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year as this is the time when personalities from all walks of life are approaching him for “gift.”
“Automatic na ‘yan na kapag Christmas season pila pila ang mga nagnanais na makaambon ng grasya mula sa kanya,” said a source. “Sari-saring mga tao talaga ‘yung makikita mo sa house niya.”
“From basketball players, celebrities o kung ano pa, lahat gusto mamasko,” he added. “Of course hindi naman puwede kay sports patron na ‘Merry Christmas’ lang? May ‘Happy New Year’ ding kasunod ‘yun. May putukan.”
“Hindi rin naman kasi ganun kalantad ang preference ni sports patron. Kasi ang trip niya ‘yung ‘yung mga tipong ‘private live show’ ‘yung may mga nag–ma-macho dancing sa harap niya sa bahay niya.”
“One time muntik ma-eskandalo ‘yan si sports patron. May inimbita kasi siyang diplomat para manuod din ng ‘private live show’ ‘e hindi sila makapagpigil sa kilig kaya nagulantang ang buong village hanggang sa nareklamo sila.”
“Mabuti na lang at nadaan sa areglo kundi laking kahihiyan ‘yan para kay sports patron. Ang dami pa naman niyang mga hawak na negosyo dito sa bansa. Ang dami niyang money,” the source concluded./PN
